JUST MERCY
Finally!! A Roof and Water System in Janou!!!
On Jan. 18th, Bill returned to Haiti along with B.J., Kirk, and our grandson, Anodos. A week later, Michael came and the team was complete!
The team with Estane and Pierre, our main helpers in Haiti
Two trips were made to the mountain village of Janou during the nearly three weeks the team was in Haiti. The first trip was spent getting most of the roof on before running out of tin. The second trip, they finished getting the roof on the church, some siding applied, and the water catchment system in place, major milestones finally completed!!! Praise the Lord!
The roof is on!!
It has taken nearly two years to get to this point due to the Covid epidemic, the gang violence so prevalent in Haiti restricting travel, and the “normal” difficulty of procuring supplies in Haiti. (Scroll down for more pictures AND a link to a short video!) Bill tells the tale:
“It’s been a long haul building the church up in the mountains of Haiti, but it’s almost finished!
When full, the cistern will hold about 10,000 gallons of water. Just one good rain will equal 2000 trips up and down the mountain with a five gallon bucket on their heads.
Painting the inside of the cistern to seal it
We had the first church service in the building while we were there and it was such a blessing. All the people are so glad to have a place to worship out of the sun and weather. There was singing, praying, and preaching the Word! Afterwards, there was a time of greeting and hugs and kisses in Jesus’ name! It was just wonderful!
Bill speaking at the first church service
On our next trip, we hope to build doors and make shutters for the building. The building needs benches for the people to have a place to sit as there is currently nothing, well, almost nothing. Hope I have a picture of BJ sitting on that pile of dirt!
Our goal is to start school in this building next year. For those children who are privileged enough to attend now, it will save them a six hour round trip hike to school each day. We need to build a small house where a teacher can live. All the little ones need to learn who God is and how very much He loves them even as they learn to read and write.
Friends, you have the thanks from all the people you have blessed on this and other projects because of the love Christ has poured into your hearts and you have let overflow to others. All the work and sacrifices that many of you have made has touched the lives of so many and will through all the days ahead.
Time to speak His words while we have the light and the harvest is ripe, in season and out! May we speak Jesus and let our thirst be forever quenched in Jesus, and may that water spill over into all who we meet.”
Getting ready to head across the sea in Agape Floats, the boat donated last year by Agape Flights! What a blessing that has been!!
Kirk, Michael, & B.J. in the boat
Anodos working on the roof
Carrying the tin up the mountain. It is steep!
Handing up the tin
The water catchment system
The view from a window
Inside the building
The church service
A little perspective on how difficult it has been to build
The side of the church with the cistern